Box Score

DOYLESTOWN – Free throws by the Aggies Jeremy Beckett with seven seconds left set up the final Wilkes University possession but Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep)'s three-point try as time expired bounced off as Delaware Valley College defeated the Colonels 69-66 in the semifinals of the Freedom Conference men's basketball tournament on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Aggies will host DeSales University for the conference title, after the Bulldogs defeated Misericordia University on Wednesday evening.

The Colonels entered the final 7:04 down 63-53 after a layup by the Aggies James Jones, the conference player of the year. Two Wilkes possessions later, a technical foul by Jones allowed Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly) to sink two free throws and Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) would get a tip-in off his own miss as the Colonels got to within six with 5:25 remaining.

Delaware Valley stretched it back to eight when Beckett got an offensive board and put back on a Jones missed three, but a lay in by Bernard Edmonds (Exeter/Wyoming Area) on the other end brought it back down to six.

After two empty possessions, DeRojas hit a floater down the middle of the lane with 1:32 remaining to cut the Colonels deficit to 65-61. Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) then grabbed a rebound off a missed three by the Aggies and hit both of his foul shots after a foul as a tight game got even tighter at 65-63 with 53 seconds left.

Hinze then came up with another big play, snatching an Aggies loose ball as the Colonels called a timeout with 17 seconds left in the game. However, a bad pass on the inbounds play was grabbed by the Aggies Jason Goldheimer, who was quickly fouled, hitting both of his shots to put Delaware Valley on top 67-63 with 14 seconds remaining.

The Colonels responded as Huch ran the ball down the floor and hit a leaning three from the right wing to get Wilkes to within one with just 11 seconds left on the clock.

Inbounding the ball off the make, Jones tossed the ball to Beckett all the way down on the other side of the court and was fouled, setting up his two makes.

After an Aggies timeout, Breznitsky brought the ball down, passing it inside to Huch before getting it back on the kick out, but his attempt from 25-feet fell off as the buzzer sounded.

In the first half, the Colonels held an early 11-5 lead on the offensive strength of Breznitsky, who started for the injured Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley), and the rebounding help of Brendan Sheldon (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley). However, the Aggies rallied with the help of a very loud home crowd, going on a 16-4 run over a 5:44 span to take a 21-15 lead with 9:32 left in the half.

Delaware Valley (16-10), the top seed in the Freedom Conference tournament, stretched its lead to 11 with 3:40 left before the Colonels rallied before the break. A three-pointer by Huch, followed by another from DeRojas on the next possession got the Colonels to within five with 2:00 before the half, and a layup by DeRojas with 34 seconds cut it to three as Delaware Valley went into the break up 34-31.

The Colonels end the season with a 15-10 record, going 8-6 in the Freedom Conference and making the postseason for the first time since 2008-09. DeRojas, the Colonels lone senior, ends his career with 1,535 points, sixth most in the school's history. He also leaves Wilkes in several career top 10 lists, including field goals, three-pointers, free throw percentage, assists and steals.

He led the Colonels with 17.7 points per game, hitting 91.4 percent of his free throws and 41.9 percent of his threes. Hinze averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while Huch led the team with 8.3 boards per game and 47 blocks. Mullins was third on the Colonels with 12.0 points per game in his first season after transferring to Wilkes in the summer.

Wilkes will welcome back four starters and 76.1 percent of its scoring next season as the Colonels look for another trip to the Freedom Conference tournament.